Ok I like the baking soda option more than the ACV for step 1.- No awful smell lingering- Easier to apply- Cheaper (baking soda is like 69 cents)

Finished my wash and go and curl definition is more or less the same as the ACV rinse. I'm just wondering how often can I do this without the baking soda having a negative effect on my hair. I think maybe every 2-3 days should be ok but we'll see

The bakingsoda mixture from this method will never have a negative effect on the hair, as long as ur doing the correct mixture, (sometimes adjusting amount of bakingsoda used to only teaspoons if you are not using much gel or no gel) and deep conditioning afterwards.

Danabnatural had problems with baking soda because she would alternate between doing 1/3 cup of conditioner and just spraying straight bakingsoda and water on her hair.(which i know for a fact my hair hated) Not to mention she didn't deep condition at all when she was doing it.

I find i am able to do the bakingsoda rinse daily in this method with no problems(I have tested using bakingsoda mix everyday for 5 days straight, no issues, and have even left it in my hair for 3 hours by accident, no issues no extra dryness or signs of damage whatsoever)

Great! Thanks. I really am glad i stumbled upon this method. You are so helpful! I feel like im apart of a new revolution or something LOL. Just kidding, but I'm actually enjoying my hair now

Great! Thanks. I really am glad i stumbled upon this method. You are so helpful! I feel like im apart of a new revolution or something LOL. Just kidding, but I'm actually enjoying my hair now

no problem It makes me happy to hear what i'm sharing is changing ur relationship w/ ur natural hair and making it more enjoyable. I think everyone is going to find their hair frustrations will just gradually reduce and disappear with this method. Especially type 4b an 4c which i feel are the most neglected when it comes to reaching it's full potential. I hope to revolutionize the way ppl look at and treat their tightly coiled and zigzagged hair.

One of my friends said I smelt like vinegar..Lol so im gonna try the baking soda option for the cleansing step and see how that goes.

pinkie, aketafitgirl in step 1 puts a shower cap on her head after applying the ACV. Is it necessary that we do the same? Or can we just leave the mixture in our hair for 30-60 mins without the shower cap? Also do I need to use a shower cap if im doing the baking soda option?

I tried doing the ACV and my husband hates the smell he said the house smells like dead fish!(He is very sensitive to smells in general) So I guess the ACV is a no go for me lol unless he's not home. I havent noticed any difference with my hair with using one over the other (ACV or baking soda mixtures). I was hoping to do the ACV option more often since it doesnt have conditioner and I could save on conditioner, by sticking to doing the baking soda option maybe once a week.

Pinkie I didnt know we were supposed to use a cap with the ACV I've only been using caps with the baking soda mixture. I agree with Pinkie I've left the baking soda mix for more then the time alotted at least twice, as at times I would put my kids to sleep and fall asleep with them and wake up maybe 2 hours later rinsed it out and I havent had any "damage" to my hair. My hair was just fine :)

Pinkie the baking soda box says that it should be replaced a month after opening it (...as it expiration date) Im sure I wont be finished using the box by then and was thinking that would be such a waste. Is that true? or can I keep using it as you mention that it doesnt expire.

Aharri I feel the same way about being part of something revolutionary thanks Pinkie.

I tried doing the ACV and my husband hates the smell he said the house smells like dead fish! So I guess the ACV is a no go for me lol unless he's not home. I havent noticed any difference with my hair with using one over the other (ACV or baking soda mixtures). I was hoping to do the ACV option more often since it doesnt have conditioner and I could save on conditioner, by sticking to doing the baking soda option maybe once a week.

Pinkie I didnt know we were supposed to use a cap with the ACV I've only been using caps with the baking soda mixture. I agree with Pinkie I've left the baking soda mix for more then the time alotted at least twice, as at times I would put my kids to sleep and fall asleep with them and wake up maybe 2 hours later rinsed it out and I havent had any "damage" to my hair. My hair was just fine :)

Pinkie the baking soda box says that it should be replaced a month after opening it (...as it expiration date) Im sure I wont be finished using the box by then and was thinking that would be such a waste. Is that true? or can I keep using it as you mention that it doesnt expire.

Aharri I feel the same way about being part of something revolutionary thanks Pinkie.

ur welcomebakingsoda can never spoil. It can lose potency at the earliest after 2 years, meaning in cooking it won't make your bread rise. But it can never spoil. To test potency, just mix a bit with vinegar. If it still foams up, that means it has not lost it's potency.

The only noticeable setback in regards to speed of moisture retention using acv was really subjective to me personally, minor, and totally controllable. My edges and widows peak were not clumping as easily, and thats mostly because even though i DC'd overnight after doing acv, sometimes my shower cap might move during the night and leave my nape and edges exposed. That means heat wouldnt reopen the cuticle in those areas, plus the water would evaporate leaving them more prone to losing moisture. I find that with bakingsoda the cuticles are already opened from the rinse, not just relying on the heat to do it, so its almost like back up assurance. I then readjusted the way i wear my scarf on my showercap, so problem solved either way and my edges started to clump at the tips. Now my edges and widows peak have finally started to clump from the root. I'm also retaining length in my widows peak. Aside from that and also porosity, the general effect is the same, they both do what they need to do, which is clarify.

[/QUOTE]ur welcomebakingsoda can never spoil. It can lose potency at the earliest after 2 years, meaning in cooking it won't make your bread rise. But it can never spoil. To test potency, just mix a bit with vinegar. If it still foams up, that means it has not lost it's potency.

The only noticeable setback in regards to speed of moisture retention using acv was really subjective to me personally, minor, and totally controllable. My edges and widows peak were not clumping as easily, and thats mostly because even though i DC'd overnight after doing acv, sometimes my shower cap might move during the night and leave my nape and edges exposed. That means heat wouldnt reopen the cuticle in those areas, plus the water would evaporate leaving them more prone to losing moisture. I find that with bakingsoda the cuticles are already opened from the rinse, not just relying on the heat to do it, so its almost like back up assurance. I then readjusted the way i wear my scarf on my showercap, so problem solved either way and my edges started to clump at the tips. Now my edges and widows peak have finally started to clump from the root. I'm also retaining length in my widows peak. Aside from that and also porosity, the general effect is the same, they both do what they need to do, which is clarify.[/QUOTE]

My edges on the front of my hairline are a problem area for me. Actually that was part of the reason I had started doing ghe with castor oil to grow out that part. When I do my overnight ghe or deep conditioning my cap also slides down in that area and it gets exposed and is not as moisturized as the rest of my hair when I wake up in the morning. So I guess the baking soda option will work best for me.

I had asked Pinkie a question through email and Im posting it here as well, so that others reading the forum thread may benefit from the answer as well. Questions below:

How would you incorporate this regimen for younger kids. I've been doing daily cowashing with my two boys ( a 5 year old and a 1 year old) they both have a looser curl pattern than mine. The one year old's hair is really curly and defines pretty easily, the 5 year old is also curly(not as curly as the younger one) but gets pretty frizzy very easily. When I do wash and gos on their hair, the 1 year old's hair is super defined but by the end of the day it is fairly frizzy even though the curls are intact. the 5 year old's hair has curls but they arent able to hold through the day and frizzes up by mid day.

I dont think I can get them to do the regimen because they are young (I dont think I can put stuff in their hair for long periods of time etc) but what can I do to help their hair build up moisture slowly overtime. Not looking to grow out their hair. I just want to build their moisture retention so it doesn't frizz up as quickly as it does and their wash and gos are able to last.

And I was just curious how long does it take to build to maximum hydration. How long have you been doing this?

My edges on the front of my hairline are a problem area for me. Actually that was part of the reason I had started doing ghe with castor oil to grow out that part. When I do my overnight ghe or deep conditioning my cap also slides down in that area and it gets exposed and is not as moisturized as the rest of my hair when I wake up in the morning. So I guess the baking soda option will work best for me.

A tip is to really make sure the shower cap is on your forhead instead of closer to ur hairline, and tie it with a scarf. If you still have problems, or find that the scrunchy edge of the showercap is abrasive on your hair line, you can switch to a grocery bag, which i actually have just started doing with my DC step. you just rip it enough so you put it over your head, roll up the sides a bit and tie it securely onto your forehead, and put a scarf on top. It actually stays on better that way, and the scrunchy edge doesn't chafe on my hairline or forehead making me want to scratch it at night.

I had asked Pinkie a question through email and Im posting it here as well, so that others reading the forum thread may benefit from the answer as well. Questions below

And I was just curious how long does it take to build to maximum hydration. How long have you been doing this?

I'll let you know when i get there, lol. It is really the number of
times you redo your hair that controls the speed you get max hydration.
I myself have been doing the method for a little over a month. Even i
have not been able to make it to 7 days straight. The longest
consecutive days i got were 5 days in a row. The longest I've kept a
wash and go was 5 days, just recently, which i won't be doing again
until i reach complete maximum hydration. Although i try to maintain to
redo my hair at least every 2 days, sometimes i'll redo my hair the next
day, or stretch it 3 days. Not to mention when I wear shower caps under
my head scarf when i don't have time to do my morning half of the
routine. I haven't been keeping track of the number of times i have
actually redone the method

I am already seeing dramatic signs of moisture retention, and many
of my strands have maximum hydration. I estimate max hydration probably
takes 25-60 days of you actively doing the regimen to get so long as for
the first 7 regimen tries, you are not spacing the pace you actively
repeat the regimen to longer than 3 days. This is why i encourage people
to try to do their hair daily for at least the first week, and and as
consecutively as often.

The reason why I say this, is when i did ghe for 3 months straight, I
peeked at my bald spot about once a month to see if it was growing. I
saw it was growing out of my head defined! This is the same 4c hair that
used to stay frizzy even with heavy handed application of paul mitchell
and ecostyler gel! (this increased moisture retention didn't effect my
other strands because i had glopped them with shea butter and did not
clarify at all. The bald spot only had a drop of african wild growth
oil. To this day that area defines from root to tip with just water.

This doesn't mean you won't see dramatic signs of moisture
retention in the first week, and even more in the first month. It also
doesn't mean you won't get substantial root to tip definition in the
first week.

Now i don't want there to be any confusion. Just because your hair
defines root to tip with product(all my hair strands already do now)
doesn't mean it is maximally hydrated.

To me maximum hydration
is when your hair defines root to tip with no product except water, like
aketafitgirl's, and my bald spot. My hair does this in some areas, and i
also see that the tips of my hair are beginning to clump in the most
resistant areas. When this happens, you will get to use much less
product, and do much less coaxing to get your curl to form.

As of now, I am even able to get my widow's peak, and my other
stubborn edges to curl from root to tip with product and spring back,
and they are beginning to grow. These are signs of moisture retention,
and your hair will look awesome all the way and be increasingly more
manageable. But the ultimate goal is max hydration.

I had asked Pinkie a question through email and Im posting it here as well, so that others reading the forum thread may benefit from the answer as well. Questions below:

How would you incorporate this regimen for younger kids. I've been doing daily cowashing with my two boys ( a 5 year old and a 1 year old) they both have a looser curl pattern than mine. The one year old's hair is really curly and defines pretty easily, the 5 year old is also curly(not as curly as the younger one) but gets pretty frizzy very easily. When I do wash and gos on their hair, the 1 year old's hair is super defined but by the end of the day it is fairly frizzy even though the curls are intact. the 5 year old's hair has curls but they arent able to hold through the day and frizzes up by mid day.

I dont think I can get them to do the regimen because they are young (I dont think I can put stuff in their hair for long periods of time etc) but what can I do to help their hair build up moisture slowly overtime. Not looking to grow out their hair. I just want to build their moisture retention so it doesn't frizz up as quickly as it does and their wash and gos are able to last.

For kids you will have to
do all the steps in the morning, and because there would be no DC or steam (unless you can get them under the steamer for 10 minutes) you can't do the acv step.

clarify(baking soda option, warm water)

warm co-wash (let sit in hair for 5-10 minutes, or a quick steam if it's possible) rinse out w/ warm water

clay rinse without vinegar (make it a thicker mixture w/ less water on their
hair so it is a bit more pastey and thick and leave it on for 5-10 minutes if you can)

use warm
water and conditioner mixture as leave in (make the consistency just slightly more
thick for them, since they won't be deep conditioning)

by the way you don't need to stick the conditioner in a microwavable bowl, you could just warm some water and then when you mix it in the applicator bottle, the whole thing will be warm.

seal with ph balanced botanical gel (kccc or any
of my other recommendations.)

If
their hair is short (an inch or less) shingling probably won't work.
Just lightly take your fingers to their scalp in circular motions,
focusing on one small area at a time, as you apply the leave in and gel
as you move along.
Almost like palm rolling, but using your fingers means the product is better spread. Try to not put weight on your fingers, but on your elbows while you do it, and move super fast.

btw a friend of mine brought their little brother to my house so i did the MHM (sort of) on his head. His hair is very short. The longest strands on his head are probably barely an inch. Came out pretty defined in some areas. I did acv (left in for 1 hour) rinse, rinsed out with warm/hot water, applied warm watered down tea tree tingle conditioner and put a little kccc gel.

It seemed to define his curls but there were some really stubborn areas that wanted to just stick straight up and would not clump at all. I got one or two of them to clump, which is when i noticed they actually curl into more of a big zigzag. These hair strands also happened to be the longer ones.

Definitely the problem was that those hair strands had the least moisture retention and weight on his entire head, and so I shouldn't have skipped steps 2 and 3. If i have more time next time I'll do the whole regimen on his hair, but deep conditioning/cowash and bentonite clay steps are pretty important. It would have allowed the more stubborn areas to clump.

Generally he doesn't do much to his hair except put a little olive oil in it and brush it. Plus he usually uses any old shampoo and doesn't condition. He has problems with flaky scalp, which the acv rinse helped a lot since he hadn't washed his hair since friday. Both acv and bakingsoda have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties along with being good clarifiers.

Anyway i'll insert pictures tomorrow. I did a sort of palm rolling technique, only i used my fingertips and tackled it section by section (no clips of course it wasn't necessary). I tried to put little to no pressure on my fingertips and roll my finger at the roots, focusing on one area at a time. Almost like i was massaging his head. I couldn't rake or smooth his hair because it was simply to short and wouldn't clump. This technique was the most effective for his length, his hair is also not the type of hair that forms s waves when brushed or whatever it is the guys are doing these days. Generally he shaves it low with a little more length on the top.

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